Gays Against Guns NY is an inclusive direct action group of LGBTQ people and their allies committed to nonviolently breaking the gun industry’s chain of death—investors, manufacturers, the NRA and politicians who block safer gun laws.We are New York-based but work with GAG chapters in other cities to ensure safety for all individuals, particularly vulnerable communities such as people of color, women, people who struggle with mental health issues, LGBTQ people and religious minorities. GAG condemns white supremacy, all instances of excessive force by police, and police militarization.

Maryellen Novak is an organizer for Gays Against Guns, and Rise and Resist. Since November 2016, Maryellen has developed and produced many actions such as marches, events, and rallies for topics such as gun control, and immigrant’s rights. She has also participated in several civil disobedience actions throughout NYC and DC to amplify the need for more people to get involved in social justice issues. Maryellen works at Columbia University and has earned her MS in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution.

Jay W. Walker is an organizer, activist and member of the Gays Against Guns steering committee and several other Resistance Groups. He has conceived, produced and co-produced numerous fundraising events, public awareness campaigns, rallies and protests focusing on LGBTQ issues, HIV/AIDS (Jay is a longtime HIV survivor,) hate crimes and other issues over the last 20 years for groups such as The October 19th Coalition (founding member), Gay Men’s Health Crisis (former Special Events Producer), Gays Against Guns (founding member, steering committee), Rise and Resist (founding member, Board of Directors,) and Sing Out Louise (founding member.) Jay has also written articles for several publications, including POZ Magazine, New Now Next, and Strauss Publications. Professionally, Jay is the Director of Development for Ironbound Community Corporation in Newark, NJ.

Panel Discussion with New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, Youth Over Guns, OPEN DOORS, and the artistic team of 17 Minutes

Performance Co-Hosted with New Yorkers Against Gun Violence

The Barrow Group will provide a free evening of theater for members of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. The goal of the evening is to heighten awareness about the plague of gun violence in New York City and to discuss action steps that individuals can take to make our communities safer. There will be a panel discussion following the play.

About NYAGVThe mission of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV) is to reduce gun violence through legislative advocacy and education designed to encourage action, influence public opinion and lead to policy change. With a primary focus on New York State, NYAGV also advocates at the local and national levels for laws, policies and practices that protect New York State residents, particularly youth, from gun violence. NYAGV was established in 1993 by Brooklyn mothers galvanized by the senseless shooting death of a teacher in Prospect Park. It is a nonprofit organization with 501(c) (4) tax status.https://nyagv.org/

Youth Over Guns: As a youth-led advocacy group we have vowed to uplift and fight for the most marginalized communities, particularly youth of color and the violence that impacts their communities. Since merging with New Yorkers Against Gun Violence we have recommitted ourselves to advocating for policies and programs that reduce gun violence as a whole; with a particular focus on solutions that will save lives in underserved communities of color. In addition to policy reform, we also advocate for funding for evidence-based intervention methods and programs that are effective at preventing the cycle of violence.

Join us for a meaningful discussion about creating art that delves into difficult subjects like school shootings, and how activists in communities and organizations can partner with artists to work towards a common goal.

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS:

Padraic LillisFor the past ten years Padraic has been dedicated to the development of new plays, artists, and companies. A few of the plays that he has worked on from inspiration to production are Lindsay Joy’s RISE AND FALL OF A TEENAGE CYBERQUEEN (Awarded NY IT Award for Outstanding Director and Outstanding Production), Lee Kaplan’s award winning solo show BULLY (awarded NY International Fringe Festival’s Overall Excellence Award for Directing), Scott Hudson’s play SWEET STORM, and Adina Taubman’s award winning solo show A LINE IN THE SAND (a docudrama based on the school shootings at Columbine). As a playwright he has been produced nationally. His play TWO THIRDS HOME is published by Dramatists Play Services, his solo show HOW TO SURVIVE CRACK ADDICTIONis published by Indie Theater Now, and LIGHTS UP ON THE FADE OUT was awarded top 10 plays of 2011 in L.A. He has taught his play development workshop since 2009, and is an adjunct professor with NYU’s Department of Dramatic Writing. He helped design and oversaw the education program for Labyrinth Theater Company. Padraic was awarded the Dayton Hudson Distinguished Artist Fellowship to be in residence at Carlton College. He is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz and a life long Yankee fan.

Diane Renaldo, Representative for Moms Demand Action Moms Demand Action is a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. Moms Demand Action was founded by Shannon Watts, a mother of five. The day after the Sandy Hook tragedy, Shannon started a Facebook group with the message that all Americans can and should do more to reduce gun violence. The online conversation turned into a movement of moms, dads, students, families, concerned citizens and survivors working together with our partners in the gun violence prevention movement to end this uniquely American crisis.Moms Demand Action has established a chapter in every state of the country and Washington, D.C. and, along with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Students Demand Action and the Everytown Survivor Network, it is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with nearly 6 million supporters and more than 350,000 donors. https://momsdemandaction.org/

Adina TaubmanAdina Taubman is an actor, playwright, and the Artistic Director of Chrysalis Theatre Company. Most recently, Adina has created a new solo show, THE ROAD BACK, about mental health that she will be performing at The Edmonton Fringe Festival in Canada this summer and for a limited run this fall in New York. She has performed her award-winning solo show about the Columbine High School massacre, A LINE IN THE SAND, (directed by Padraic Lillis) in more than 12 theater festivals and in more than 20 high schools around the country. Adina has talkbacks with students about how to create a more compassionate school community. Productions with Chrysalis Theatre Company: “Barking Girl” by Susan Bernfield, “The Stop Gun Violence NOW Theater Festival,” and a staged reading of an original devised piece about depression and the mental health system, “Beauty in My Brokenness.” adinataubman.com

Wednesday, January 29
PERFORMANCE AT 7:30PM, TALKBACK TO FOLLOWGET TICKETS

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS:

Dr. Sonali Rajan is an Associate Professor of Health Education in the Department of Health and Behavior Studies at Teachers College, Columbia University. She also holds a secondary faculty appointment in the Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. Dr. Rajan is a school violence prevention expert, who studies gun violence and adverse childhood experiences. For the past several years, Dr. Rajan has worked on the implementation and evaluation of health education and behavioral health initiatives aimed to mitigate youth engagement in high-risk behaviors and promote positive youth development, primarily in NYC public schools, but also in other hospital and community-based settings.

Louis Klarevas, Ph.D.Dr. Klarevas is Research Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University and the author of Rampage Nation: Securing America from Mass Shootings (2016). In the past, he has taught at American University, George Washington University, City University of New York, New York University, and the University of Massachusetts–Boston. He has also held the positions of Defense Analysis Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science and as United States Senior Fulbright Scholar in Security Studies at the University of Macedonia. A noted authority on mass-casualty violence, he has served as an expert witness in cases involving mass shootings and firearm laws as well as a consultant to the federal government on security and counter-terrorism issues.

Friday, January 31PERFORMANCE AT 7:30PM, TALKBACK TO FOLLOWGET TICKETS

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS:

Jessica Mofield is the Executive Deputy Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office to Prevent Gun Violence. Prior to joining OPGV, she worked at Counseling Service of Eastern District of New York, where she served as a Substance Abuse Clinician and coordinated clients from ACS and federal probation. She earned a Master’s degree in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness from New York University. Ms. Mofield also holds a license as a LMHC and Bachelor of Science in Psychology.https://www1.nyc.gov/site/peacenyc/index.page

Jennilie BrewsterIn 2019 the New York State Assembly recognized Jennilie Brewster as a “Woman of Distinction” for her work with OPEN DOORS, the arts-and-justice initiative she founded on Roosevelt Island. Based in a long-term care facility, OPEN DOORS supports the creativity and leadership of people who have been harmed by gun violence and inspires action for safer, more just communities. Recent projects include the poetry anthology Wheeling & Healing, the album OPEN DOORS Reality Poets Vol. 1 and the original play FADE. http://www.jenniliebrewster.com/

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS:
Kylie Vincent is a NYC based activist and artist. Originally from Thousand Oaks, California, Kylie started her gun control activism by producing and directing a performance show related to gun control violence with fellow high school students after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Kylie was featured in various news outlets for her activism and art. After moving to New York City to pursue theatre and comedy, she was given the opportunity to take on the title of Action Director of March For Our Lives New York State. Over the past year she has performed, produced and directed theatrical performances to raise money for the organization and awareness. In addition, Kylie is an associate and performer on The #HereToo Project, a devised play about gun control activism created by two writers from Tectonic Theatre Company. Kylie has spoken at various activist events including, March For Science, Gays Against Guns Rally (Times Square), and Penn State. In addition, Kylie coproduces/performs in Who Is She Comedy, an all female comic group that hosts an all female/non-binary stand up line up at Club Cumming & Arlene’s Grocery. Other credits include Adult Swim (Digikiss), NBC (Gen Z pilot), UCB Hell’s Kitchen (Who Is She Comedy Sketch), #HereToo (Penn State) and Points In Case (Published Writer).

PAMELA DICKSON is an attorney licensed to practice in the states of New York and Massachusetts. As founding partner of Bedrock Intelligence she has worked with schools in the New York area conducting security audits, assisting Administrators with crisis management policy, creating customized crisis response plans, and training faculty and staff in emergency procedures.

Dickson has extensive experience in criminal investigations and served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office under Robert M. Morgenthau. In both the Trial and Investigations Divisions and the Family Violence and Sex Crimes Units, Dickson conducted numerous hearings and jury trials and was cross-designated as an Assistant United States Attorney for a long-term joint investigation into the United Nations Oil For Food Program.

Dickson’s experience in security and crisis management was honed as field investigator in Kosovo in 1999 following the conflict with Serbia where she located witnesses whose testimony was used in evidence at the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague (ICTY).

During Law School, Dickson worked in the Brussels Office of Human Rights Watch, in Chambers at the ICTY and in the US Department of State (Office of War Crimes Issues).

She holds a JD, from Northeastern University, a Masters degree from Oxford University (Oxford, UK), and a B.A. in Communications from Washington State University.

LEIGH GELLER is an attorney admitted to practice in New York State, and has focused her career on law enforcement and security. Most recently, she held the position of Vice President at Investigative Management Group, a private security and intelligence gathering firm in Manhattan. In that capacity she supervised security audits, internal corporate investigations and conducted background checks and cyber security reviews.

Geller began her career as an Assistant District Attorney at the New York County District Attorney’s Office appointed by the Honorable Robert M. Morgenthau. There she investigated and prosecuted criminal cases from arrest through indictment and trial, including crimes of violence, narcotics cases and white-collar crimes.

Geller has extensive experience leading several non-profit organizations in the New York area, including a key leadership position in a public school system in Westchester County. Geller has also served as Senior Counsel at Millbrook Capital Management, a private investment firm.

She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and a JD from Fordham University School of Law.